Alternate Universe
by Chambers10
Summary: A series of small tales about James and Lily in the world of some of my other favourite characters and how there personalty traits change the characters they replace.
1. Sherlock

**Sherlock**

"Evans! Leave him!"

"NO!" came the tearful woman's voice as she placed pressure on the blown stump of flesh.

"Evans, there are insurgents all over this area!" shouted the commander, "We have to move!"

"No!" she said tearfully looking down at the man before her, he was scared…in all there time together, she had never seen him scared, but he was going to die if she didn't stem the bleeding.

"Evans!" The captain grabbed her backpack and tried to pull her back. "Were surrounded and Evac is here! We have to move, now!"

"I am not leaving him!" she shrugged of his hand and looked down at her fiancée who was trying to say something. "I love him." She whispered.

"But we have to go!" the captain said pulling her back again.

"Let me talk to her." The wounded man said. With his remaining hand he pulled her in closer.

"You have to let me go." He said. Lily tearfully shook her head.

"No." she said. "No, were going to get through this, where going to go home and live in that cottage we always dreamed of with the stupid windows where our kids can play football in the back garden." He smiled weakly.

"You can still have that." He whispered as shots fired over their heads. "You can, I…I can't."

"Yes, yes you can!" Lily shouted tearfully.

"Captain, get her out of here." He said fighting back his own. He reached down to his belt and pulled out his hand gun.

"NO! JON!" shouted Lily as the captain pulled her of him and dragged her back towards the waiting Chinhook while she was kicking and screaming.

"Look after her captain." Said Jon turning round and firing.

"JON!"

Lily woke up abruptly in her bed. She was breathing hard and her pyjamas where caked in sweat, she pulled the duvet off her and sat on the edge of the bed and looked around her bedsit. She ran her hands through her hair and fingered the chain round her neck with Jon's ring on it. Lily breathed deeply and got back onto the bed, hugging her knees in the process.

Another nightmare, though they were weren't as frequent as they had been in the last few weeks when they did they were stronger than ever before. Tears started to fall from her cheeks, she missed Jon. She missed waking up next to him in the morning, she missed his scent, his touch, everything. After sheading her tears, Lily got back into bed and closed her eyes. She knew she wasn't going to get any sleep anytime soon but at least it was semi peaceful.

"Another sleepless night?" Lily was curled up on a chair looking at the rain batter the windows of Doctor McGonagall's. She had been up since her nightmare drinking tea waiting for her appointment. At around six she opened her laptop and looked at the blank page of . She had spent hours looking at it, but couldn't think of a single thing to say.

"How's your blog going?" she asked. Lily shuffled on the chair. Her hand going down to finger the ring on her chain again.

"Yeah, good." She said she cleared her throat awkwardly. "Very good."

McGonagall smiled wryly and made a note. "You haven't written a word, have you?"

Lily's gaze went to her note book, her green eyes narrowed.

"You just wrote 'Still has trust issues.'" Said Lily pointing at the note book. McGonagall pulled it up.

"And you read my writing upside down. Do you see what I mean?" Lily looked away from her.

"Lily, you're a soldier, and it's going to take you a while to adjust to civilian life; and writing a blog about everything that happens to you will honestly help you." Lily looked at the rain again sadly. It was raining the first time Jon had told Lily he loved her, in their barracks after a stupid row that Lily couldn't remember now.

"Nothing interesting happens to me anymore." She said sadly.

Lily was walking through the park, she wrapped her coat around her more tightly and let the autumn breeze brush her neck and chin. Everything she did just reminded her of Jon all the more, walking to the shops, the cinema, and the park. Everything just reminded her of what she had lost, all her friends tried to understand what she was going through but they couldn't.

"Lily? Lily Evans." Lily turned to see a woman sitting on a bench, she was plump while wearing a beige overcoat but her face looked familiar. Lily turned round to face the voice.

"Dorcas, Dorcas Meadows? We were in Saint Bart's together." Lily recognised her now.

"Ah yes, Dorcas, hello." She said holding her hand out to shake it. But before she could Dorcas enveloped her in a huge hug. Lily was a bit taken aback and hugged her back gingerly.

"It's been an age." Said Dorcas finally letting go. "How you been? Last I heard you went abroad somewhere getting shot at." Lily could feel a chill running over her shoulder.

"So what Happened?"

"…I, got shot." Said Lily quietly.

Lily and Dorcas where now sitting in the park with a cup of tea for Lily and coffee for Dorcas. Lily had always been a coffee drinker, but, ever since Jon…

"So are you still at Bart's then?" asked Lily, trying to make conversation.

"Yeah." Said Dorcas chuckling, "Teaching now though, Bright young things like we used to be. God I hate them." Despite herself, Lily laughed along with Dorcas. It felt nice to laugh again, although it left as quickly as it came.

"So what about you?" asked Dorcas, "Just staying in town till you get yourself sorted?"

"I can't afford London on an Army pension." Said Lily pulling her coat round her more.

"And yet you can't bear to be anywhere else." Said Dorcas knowingly. "That's not the Lily Evans I know."

"I'm not that Lily Evans anymore." She died with John in the sand in Afghanistan. They both drank in an uncomfortable silence. Lily looked down at her hand to find it shaking, she gripped her fist to stop it. Apparently, it was a side effect of the PTSD.

"Couldn't Pete help out?" asked Dorcas. Lily laughed again.

"Yeah, like that's going to happen." Said Lily sarcastically,

"Why don't you get a flat share?" suggested Dorcas. "There a plenty going in London."

"Who would want me as a flatmate?" asked Lily. Dorcas laughed. "What's funny?" asked Lily.

"You know, you're the second person who's asked me that today." Said Dorcas. Lily looked at her confused.

"Well…who's the first?"

James opened the body bag and inhaled deeply.

"How fresh?" he asked. Marlene walked over, to him, she seemed giddy in his presence, maybe it was the unruly black hair coupled with the long black coat and suit without a tie that did it for her.

"Just in this morning." Said Marlene, "sixty seven, natural causes." She said as she walked round the body, "I knew him, he was nice." James nodded and turned to face her.

"Excellent." He said, "We'll start with the riding crop."

Marlene flinched each time James smacked the corps with varying degrees of force. When he was finished he rearranged his suit and placed the crop back.

"Bad day was it?" asked Marlene jokingly.

"I need to know what bruises appear in the next twenty minutes." He said, not picking up on the banter. "A man's alibi depends on it, text me." Marlene played with her fingers nervously as James put his coat on.

"Listen…" she began. "I was wondering: you know, when you're finished whether you would like to-"

"You're wearing lipstick." Said James abruptly. Marlene was caught a little of guard by the observation. "You weren't wearing lipstick before."

"I, er…refreshed it." Marlene said nervously. She then looked over at him flirtatiously, but he was now back writing into his notebook.

"Sorry, you were saying?" Marlene snapped back to reality, remembering about coffee.

"I was wondering whether you'd like some coffee?" she asked, looking at James intently. James snapped his notebook shut and turned to her.

"Black, two sugars please, I'll be upstairs." James swept passed her shell shocked face leaving her alone in the morgue.

"…Okay."

James was let a few drops of acid fall onto the petri dish. He placed in under the microscope and studied the reaction. He noticed the door opening but didn't look up. They moved around the room before settling.

"Looks a lot different from my day." Said Lily.

"Hah, you have no idea." Said Dorcas.

"Dorcas, can I borrow your phone?" asked James, "Mines got no signal."

"What wrong with the landline?" asked Dorcas looking for it.

"I prefer to text." Said James still not looking up from the microscope.

"Sorry, left it downstairs." Said Dorcas turning out her pockets.

"Here." Lily fished her phone out of her pocket. "Use mine." James looked up from the microscope and at Dorcas before walking over to Lily.

"Oh, thank you." He said taking the phone from her out stretched hand. James looked to Dorcas again.

"This is an old colleague of mine." Said Dorcas, "Lily, Lily Evans." James started to text while Lily looked around the room. James's eyes flickered towards her before going back to the phone.

"Afghanistan or Iraq?" he asked. Lily turned to Dorcas who had an all knowing smile on her face. Lily turned back to James who was still texting.

"Excuse me?" she asked. James now looked up at her fully.

"Which was it, Afghanistan or Iraq?" James asked again. Lily looked over to Dorcas again and then back at James amazed, yet violated.

"Af-Afghanistan, sorry but how did you-"

"Ah, Marlene." The door opened and Marlene walked in with two cups of coffee. "Brilliant coffee thank you." He said taking it off her and placing it on the side. "What happened to the lipstick? He asked, Marlene flushed and looked away.

"It, er, it wasn't working for me." She said lamely.

"Really?" said James, "I thought it was a big improvement. Now it looks, too." He motioned with his hands "Small." Marlene stood silent.

"…Okay." James walked back to his workbench.

"How do you feel about the violin?" he asked. Lily saw Marlene walk out of the door and then to Dorcas who was smiling smugly. Lily suddenly realised he was talking to her.

"I'm sorry…what?" asked Lily again.

"I play the violin when I think, which is a lot and talk to myself for days on end, which I do a lot of as well." He said holding up a test tube. "Would that bother you, I think prospective flatmates should know that worst about each other." Lily turned to Dorcas.

"You, you told him about me?" Dorcas shook her head.

"Not a word." Lily turned to James with a glare.

"Well then who said anything about flatmates then?" she asked accusingly.

"I did." Said James walking towards his coat and taking it of the coat stand. "I Told Dorcas this morning that I must be a difficult man to find a flatmate for. Now here she is just after lunch with an old friend, clearly just home from military service in Afghanistan. Wasn't that difficult a leap." He finished. Lily nodded, it certainly did make sense.

"How did you know about Afghanistan?" asked Lily quietly.

"I have my eye on a nice place in central London." Said James, ignoring Lily's question. "Together we can afford it, the landlady owes me a favour." James applied his scarf and checked his phone. "We'll meet there tomorrow evening; seven o'clock. Sorry – have to dash. I think I left my riding crop in the mortuary."

Putting his phone into the inside pocket of his coat, James walked past Lily and headed for the door.

"Is that it?" asked Lily. James turned back and questioned her with his eyebrows. He moved a little closer to her.

"Is that what?"

"We've only just met, and now where going to see a flat together."

"Problem?"

Lily looked at Dorcas who was still smiling while she herself was smiling in disbelief, how could any else not see the disorganisation at this proposition.

"We don't know a thing about each other." Said Lily. "I don't know where we're meeting; I don't even know your name."

James looked closely at her for a moment before speaking

"I know you're an Army doctor and you've been invalided home from Afghanistan due to losing your fiancée. I know you've got a brother who's worried about you but you won't go to him for help because you don't approve of him – possibly because he's an alcoholic; more likely because he recently walked out on his partner."

Lily was stunned, she tried to stand tall but really wanted to cry, how could someone she barely knew figure that much about her from only being in a room with her for less than five minutes.

"I think that's enough to be getting on with." Said James walking towards the door again. He walked halfway through the door before turning back to face Lily.

"The name is James Potter. And the address, is Two, Two, One, B Baker Street." He click winked Lily and turned to Dorcas, "Afternoon." Dorcas held her hand up to acknowledgement as he walked through the door, she turned to Lily who looked on amazed at him.

"Yeah, he does that."


	2. Superman

**Superman**

"Do angels really exist? Some say we have guardian angels who watch over us, some people are very sceptical about these sort of circumstances. One person who isn't this morning is little Danita Evans."

"I was playing on the balcony." The small black girl said into the camera. "When I lost my balance and fell over."

"And then what happened?" the reporter asked.

"Then this big blue angel with red wings swopped down, he caught me, placed me on the ground, and flew away." The camera cut to a picture of the Angel that the little girl had drawn, it more resembled a man in a blue suit and a red cape. "You should have heard my mum scream."

The camera then cut to the apartment block that the little girl had fallen from. "And that's where she fell from." The reporter pointed of camera, the camera then followed her hand towards the top of the building. "Forty floors up." The snippet ended and turned back to the Anchor-man.

"Friendly pigeons." Lily pointed at the T.V with a ruler.

"Come of it red." Said Dorcas typing away. "Clearly a government project."

"Coming from the conspiracy theorist, of course you would." Said Lily, "It's only a slow day snippet to boost ratings." Lily sat down at her desk.

"And maybe sell some newspapers." Mary held up that morning's edition which had a picture of the little girl on the TV with a page one spread. Lily snatched the newspaper and briefly looked at the headline. She then stormed from her seat towards Perry's office.

"Miss Evans, Miss Evans." Lily smacked the intern's papers into the air as she made her way towards Perry Whites office. She was angry, no, angry implied that it wasn't that much of a big thing, she was livid. Lily Evans was not used to having her story being pushed back for some shit on 'Angels'.

She had bought the new black business suit as a well done present but now it seemed to personify anger and flare that all red heads are known and feared for. She glared up at the office door and roughly banged it open, leaving the teen secretary gawping.

"CHIEF!" she shouted as she walked in. "I didn't spend the last week down on the docks getting with frizzed hair and sleeping with rats to expose the biggest gun smuggling ring this town ever seen and what makes the front page!" she slammed her hands on Perry Whites desk.

"Some gargling and nauseating shit on Angels!" The old editor smiled at her heaving, he always liked Lily because she was passionate about her work. The youngest reporter to win the Pulitzer prize and got the Prime Minister to confess to having an affair with his pool boy while proving that soldiers where abusing prisoners. Lily Evans could find out anything about anyone.

"What's next, interviews with bigfoot?"

Perry smiled.

"Ah Lily, I'm glad I caught you, I thought you should be the first to know that I'm hiring a new reporter for the city desk."

"That still doesn't explain why you chose to run some shit on angels rather than my proper story!" she calmed down a little.

"So, is he cute?"

"You tell me." Lily turned round so see the new Reporter. He was tall with jet black hair with piercing hazel eyes that fell onto her own green eyes. Lily felt a twinge of excitement playing on her own heart string.

"Oh…" she managed to get out. "Hi." She said holding out her hand.

"Hello." he said smiling politely shaking hers.

"Lily, I want you to meet our new guy on the city beat, James Potter, from Smallville."

"Smallville?" asked Lily with a raised eyebrow, "Never heard of it."

"Have you ever been to Kansas?" He asked.

"God no." said Lily instantly.

"I've been reading his stuff." Said Perry, "It's good, very good, makes you very emotionally attached to the story. But I was thinking that he could tag along with you for a few days, you know, show him to ropes, get the lay of the land."

"Well now we have the pleasantries out of the way, you know how much I would love to play den mother Chief, but I have that Snapecorp thing in half an hour."

"Ah yes." Said Perry getting to his feet and walking to the window behind his desk. "The great and 'Benevolent' Severus Snape is showing off a new weapons system today." As he was talking Lily looked over at Potter up and down, he almost looked like he was slouching, tall and strong but to deliberately seem like he wasn't a threat. Perry turned back round to the duo.

"Severus is usually Lily's beat but I'm sure she wouldn't mind having another pair of eyes, would you Lily?" he asked. Lily turned so Potter could look at her looking at him. She made it very clear from her look that she didn't like him.

"Of course not chief." Said Lily turning round and walking out of the door. She could hear that Potter fumbling behind her and catching up with her.

"Listen here Smallville." She said, her tone sharp. "I've got nothing against you personally but even as a kid I hated babysitting."

"I won't be a hindrance Miss Evans." Said Potter.

"Well, if you want to keep up with me, you have to be quick." Said Lily as they approached the lift. "I'm not a tour guide and I certainly don't hold hands." Lily looked over to see Sirius coming over towards them, a new Intern who had the biggest crush on Lily, he was only a messenger but with aspirations of becoming a photographer. Lily had used him on a couple of occasions, but now he bragged that he was her go to guy.

"Sirius." She said in an obvious fake voice. His head turned round in a flash, like dog summoned by its master.

"Yes Miss Evans?" he asked expectantly.

"James Potter, meet Sirius Black." Sirius, who was carrying a large box of paperwork turned to look at Potter.

"The new guy?" he asked. Lily nodded and backed towards the lift and called for it to come down. "I only work as a copy boy." Said Sirius to James as more papers kept falling from the box. "But I really want to become a photographer. The lift reached the floor and the doors open. Lily looked over at James who was still engaged with Sirius who was telling him about photography. "I'm fearless, really. You can ask Miss Evans, she uses me all the time." Lily stepped into the lift just as James looked up, she closed the doors waving at him.

"Bye." She said softly as the door slammed shut. Lily laughed to herself, this was just too easy. That Potter couldn't keep up with her from the office. She took the lift straight to the underground car park where she walked to her car.

Lily drove to the outskirt of the city to an old airfield which was now Snapecorp's research and development centre. Lily passed security and parked up, she checked her appearance in the mirror one last time before getting out and making her way towards one of the air hangers. Out of the corner of her eye, she notice the Channel 5 news, the one that had reported the angel's story.

"How does my hair look?" the pretty reporter asked her cameraman who nodded absent mindedly.

"Angela." Said Lily walking towards her, "Don't tell me you're actually reporting on an actual news story." Angela glared at Lily and moved some more hair behind her ear. "What happened, run out of alien abductees?"

"Well Lily, at least my network didn't have to send two reporters to cover the same story." She pointed behind Lily who turned round and saw James talking to one of the scientists while scribbling on a notepad. Lily's mouth dropped, how the hell he got here before her, she left him picking up newspapers. Lily stormed off towards him

"He's cute, you should introduce us sometime." Said Angela after her.

"How the hell did you get here so fast?" demanded Lily as she got closer towards him. James smiled and closed his notebook.

"Oh, I just flew." Was his retort, this infuriated Lily all the more and she snatched his notebook from his grasp and flicked through the pages, they all seemed like unintelligible squibbles.

"Look-" Lily held her hand up for silence.

"Don't even bother Smallville." She said, "I can decipher any code in less than a minute."

"Simmer down." He said taking the notebook back of her. "It's shorthand." Lily blinked.

"So what did you get?" she asked.

"I'd tell you." He said pocketing the notebook, "But you'd have to share the by-line." Lily cocked her hip and folded her arms across her chest.

"Well…I'm impressed Smallville." Said Lily, "You're not the inept idiot I mistook you for."

"Thanks…I think."

"Ladies and gentlemen." Lily looked over towards a scientist who was on a podium. "If you could all make your way to the presentation area we can get underway and show you the Snapecorp's brand new Government contracted weapons system, the next step in the evolution of modern warfare."

The assembled press made their way into the main hanger, Lily stood in front of James and watched the screen as the lights went dark and a video was then played.

"The Snape-suit 5000." The lights went down and the video showed a battle suit come onto the screen. The scale showed it to be three times the size of an average man, it was army green with now facial features, only a black window across the front that Lily could only assume was the cockpit. It had two arms, one was a huge tank like weapon with an inbuilt chain machine gun on the arm while the other closely resembled a claw.

The video started with the battle suit firing the machine gun at assembled targets from what the camera projected as a huge distance away. The bullets hit their targets, obviously, Snape wouldn't want the government to buy crap hardware thought Lily.

"Made from a patent Alloy, the Snape-Suit 5000 is virtually indestructible." The announcer said. The video then cut to the suit being surrounded by tanks in a desert. "As seen now in this exclusive test footage against these automated tanks." The tanks now formed a circle round the suit and began firing. After depositing 4 rounds each the smoke cleared to show the suit of armour still in perfect order.

"The Snape-suit can stand up to any punishment." The suit aimed its tank arm at one of the tanks. "And deal it back tenfold" It fired and the tank blew up instantaneously and deposited a huge shell from the arm. It then dealt out the same punishment to the rest of the tanks.

"Inside the suit is a single soldier." The video then showed the suit opening from the back to show the pilot on his back in what looked like a fighter jet seat, it than folded again so it was now on ground level. "Now made stronger than a whole battalion." The video then stopped playing and the lights came back up.

"And now, to the future, and the man who created it, Severus Snape!" The curtain behind the announcer came up to show the battle suit along with a man standing in front of it. Lily didn't really like Severus Snape so much, he was back alley warlord who sold his stock to the highest bidder, regardless of what those people would do with his merchandise. Famed to be the weapons supplier of every dictator in the known world he could command the highest fee for something like this suit of armour.

"Thank you, thank you." He said to the applause and the photo shots from all the photographers. He smirked in the bulb light and then tried to gee the crowd up, which somehow, unexplainable to Lily, he did, there was now whistling and more cheers as he accepted the synthetic high. Lily turned round to James who was watching intently.

"I bet this beats the dog and pony shows back home doesn't it." She said smirking. Out of the corner of her eye she saw James smile to himself and took down some more notes.

"I don't view the Snape-suit as an instrument of war." He said with a smug smile on his lips. Lily always thought he closely resembled a child in an adult's suit. "But, as an instrument to end wars."

"Yeah right, what do you think about him Smallville?" no reply. Lily quirked her eyebrows. "Smallville?" Lily turned but James wasn't behind her. Maybe he slipped to the bathroom or something.

BOOOM

Lily turned again, behind her there was a hole now in the back of the hanger. Slowly, a yellow hovering cargo crane floated in. The explosion caused confusion as journalists and photographers ran for the exits. Lily however was looking at the crane, it hovered over the battle suit and lowered its magnetic crane down and it snapped into place on its chest plate and lifted it up to it was across its hull. It maneuvered mid-air and flew towards the roof and smashed through it.

Lily turned round to run she only got a couple of paces before tripping on a piece of ceiling onto the hard floor. It took a second for Lily to get her bearings, which was then disrupted by a groaning above her. Lily looked up and saw a metal beam above her come of its bearings and flew down towards her. Lily closed her eyes and waited for the impact. Expect, it never came.

Lily opened her eyes, they went from a squint to as huge as saucers.

"No, way!" she said. Holding the beam above his head was a man, he had unruly black hair and a very muscular physique which was amplified by the skin tight blue suit he was wearing with a red cape. The man heaved the metal beam to the side next to Lily, he then turned round and burst up into the air through the hole that the crane had gone through.

A few people came over to check that Lily was alright, but she wasn't listening, her focus engaged on the hole in the hanger. What the hell had she seen? She just saw a man who was stronger than steel and could fly, a…superman.


	3. Star Trek

"Five Klingon Warbirds decloaking and ready to fire." Said Remus. James merely shrugged and made himself for comfortable in his chair.

"Don't worry about it." Said James. The other cadets looked up from there consoles at him with shock and disbelief.

"Are you ok?" asked Sirius looking at him strangely.

"Yeah." Said James. "Don't worry about."

Behind the mock bridge the other tester commanders muttered along themselves, "Is he serious, is he even taking this simulation seriously?"

"Warbirds are targeting us." Said Sirius,

"That's fine." Said James.

"Three more Warbirds decloaking and targeting our life support systems." Said Sirius looking at James with a concerned expression.

"But, I suppose that isn't a problem either." Said Sirius. James smiled and span around in the captain's chair.

"You're right, it isn't." he said.

"Warbirds are firing sir." Said Remus, on the screen in front the simulation was showing a Warbird firing a photon torpedo. "I guess that's alright to." He said turning to look at James who merely nodded.

"Alert Medical bay to receive all crew members from the stricken ship." Said James pointing at a random female cadet who actually had quite a nice arse, he'd probably get her to come back to his quarters later.

The blonde turned round, "And how do you expect us to rescue them when were surrounded by Klingons?"

"How do you expect us to rescue them when were surrounded by Klingons…Captain." Said James with a grin. "Oh, and alert medical." The blonde made a derogative noise and turned back to her console.

"Shields are at 60%." Said Remus,

"I understand." James rummaged into his bag and pulled out an apple and took a huge bite.

"Well…shouldn't we, I don't know, fire back?" asked Sirius.

"No." said James through a mouth full of apple.

"Of course not." Said Sirius in a lofty voice. The console suddenly went static, the screens went blurry and the red alert siren died down with the light flashing, everyone looked around to see where it was coming from, everyone except James. The simulation then began to run again and the red alert siren blaring out.

"Hmmm, prepare Photons to fire on all enemy ships." Said James confidently.

"And how are we supposed to do that when there shields are still up?" asked Sirius.

"Are they?" Sirius looked down at his console, a surprised look on his face.

"N-no." he stammered, "There not?"

"Fire on all enemy ships!" said James, he turned to Remus. "One photon each should do let's not waste ammunition."

"Target locked and acquired." Said Remus not quite believing it himself. "Firing now." Everyone in the room looked on in disbelief as the simulation showed photons being shot at the Warbirds which blew up. James fired a fake gun at the screens as they blew up as the rest of the make shift crew looked on in awe.

"All-all ships destroyed." Said Remus,

"All ships destroyed, captain." Said James with a smug smile and getting to his feet. "So, we successfully saved the enemy ships, rescued everyone on board, without anyone getting injured, and the recovery of the USS Kobiashi Muru is now underway." He looked up at the assessor's window. One of them turned round.

"How the hell did that kid beat your test?" he asked seriously.

"I do not know."

* * *

"This session has been called to settle a troubling matter." Said Admiral McGonagall. The whole lecture theatre was full with the murmurs of other cadets. "James Potter, step forward please." James looked around and stood up and made his way towards the small podium at the front of the lecture theatre.

"Cadet Potter, evidence has been submitted to this council that are in direct violation of the Ethical code of conduct relating to regulation 1743 of the Starfleet code." James stood at the podium readying himself, mentally preparing his defence.

"Is there anything you'd like to say before we begin?"

"Yes, I feel I have the right to face my accuser directly." Said James. Admiral McGonagall looked over towards one of the commanders and nodded. James turned to face them to see who stood up. From the very end a red headed girl got to her feet. James instantly felt to breath and hunger to fight leave him. She was drop dead gorgeous, her long red hair which was loosely curled framed her face which housed bright green eyes that where eyeing him as she walked down towards the podium to his left. Her black commander uniform hugged her body which projected her confident walk towards him. She stood in the pulpit next to him, she looked at him briefly, then face the front and moved some stray hair behind her ear.

"This is Commander Evans." Said Admiral McGonagall. "She is one of our most distinguished graduates. She has programmed the Kobiashi Muru Exam for the last four years." James afforded another look at her. "Commander."

"Thank you Admiral." She said, her voice was enticing, sharp but with a loving nurturing side to it.

"Cadet Potter, you somehow installed and activated a subroutine code, therefore changing the circumstances of the test." James looked down at the pulpit.

"Your point being."

"In academic vernacular. You cheated." Said Admiral McGonagall.

"Let me ask you something." Said James, "I think something we all know is true. The test it's self is a cheat, isn't it?" he asked. Evans didn't look up at him. "It's programmed to be unwinnable."

"You suggest the possibility of a no win scenario." Evans said.

"I don't believe in no win scenarios." Said James looking up at the council.

"Then not only have you violated the rules, you've failed to understand the principle lesson." Evans said.

"Please. Enlighten me?" asked James with a trace of annoyance. Commander Evans looked over at James.

"You of all people should know Cadet Potter, a captain cannot cheat death." James looked down at the pulpit.

"I of all people." He said quietly.

"Your father, Lieutenant Alec Potter, had assumed command of his vessel before being killed in action, was he not?"

"Heh, how long did it take for you to look that up?" he asked not looking at her directly.

"How long did it take for you to program the virus to allow you to cheat?" she asked. Her expression never wavered.

"I don't think you like the fact I beat your test." Said James forcefully.

"Furthermore you've failed to define to true purpose of the test." She continued as if he hadn't interrupted.

"Then enlighten me again."

"The purpose is to experience fear." She said, "Fear in the face of certain death. To accept that fear and maintain control of one's self and one's crew." She studied him for a moment. "It is a quality expected in every Starfleet captain."

James looked away from her, beautiful as she was she had a way of getting underneath his skin, he'd only known her for less than five minutes.

What made her tick?

The debate was interrupted by someone walking into the theatre. They walked straight to Admiral McGonagall and whispered something in her ear.

"We've just received a distress call from Vulcan." She announced to the theatre, "With our primary fleet engaged in the Leretchin System, I hereby order all cadets to report to hanger one. Dismissed." With a bang of her hammer the cadets began to file out of the room. James turned his head to see commander Evans walk away. James felt Sirius pat him on the shoulder.

"Unlucky mate." He said, "For what it's worth I thought it was really clever." James wasn't listening, his attention fixated on the bob of red hair that was walking away.

"Who was that stuck up bitch?" he asked.

"I don't know, but I like her."


End file.
